


Cinders

by MysticRyter



Series: Fire Emblem AU [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Gen, before the 2 yr gap, fey miles??, maybe? - Freeform, phoenix straight up murders redd white, the after is apollo joining phoenix, we shall see, where the before is phoenix being disgraced
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-07 23:16:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11633979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticRyter/pseuds/MysticRyter
Summary: They couldn't afford to look back, not when everything was burning around them. Not even when the silver-haired paladin seemed to tug at the deepest parts of her memory.





	Cinders

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this one earlier on my tumblr @lawyersuperpowers, but I figured it would be easier to consolidate the oneshots I wrote in one place. Enjoy!
> 
> Also Mia Fey is a Kinshi Knight. And people only think Edgeworth is a paladin. Magic??? No one needs to know. Just throwing that out there.

It was quiet. Much too quiet. There was nothing but the sound of crackling fires and the groaning of the dead. The many clerics and sages of the village were practically overrun by the invading cavalry; even with Mia’s reinforcements coming in from the nearby kingdom, it wasn’t enough, and all Maya Fey could do was take her little cousin by the wrist, and sprint to the forest like Mia told her to.

Little Pearl was shaking, her hands clutching her staff with white fingers. Her sobbing had slipped into quiet whimpers, but she clung to Maya’s side like a bear trap as they made their way through the ruins of the village. There were too many. Too many dead, too many close to death, and Pearl couldn’t save everyone by herself. And even together, they couldn’t possibly give everyone a proper burial. 

“I—I’m sorry!” Pearl blubbered, although whether it was to Maya every time or each person she tried to save, she wasn’t sure. 

Maya felt numb as her legs dragged her after Pearl, who still determinedly marched on, checking each and every pile of wreckage for people. In a village blessed with fierce magic in their blood, Maya was one of the few that chose not to pursue any training in healing, taking up a tome since she was able to walk instead.

And now, everywhere she turned, she saw a body, accompanied by the voice of her Aunt Morgan  _ tsking _ in disappointment whenever she found Maya leafing through pages, while easily praising Pearl to the high heavens for her prowess, practicing on the other village kids.

_ Of course, _ Maya thought bitterly.  _ Practicing on scraped knees and paper cuts never really prepared Pearly for  _ this _ , did it? _

The tome Mia had shoved into her arms felt heavy, not that it was a particularly thick volume. When she was younger, she remembered her mother and sister practicing with it. Sometimes a man and a boy was there, but the man and her sister never had the magical prowess Maya did. Even the boy could make a few sparks fly from his fingertips. They didn’t come around too often, but whenever they did, the smile on her mother’s face would stretch a little wider, the light in all their eyes a little brighter. 

Then the man and the boy stopped visiting, and the tome was left on the mantle until Maya was old enough to understand what magic was. She asked about it, but neither her mother nor her sister were too keen on giving her a lot of details. It wasn’t until Maya felt brazen enough to swipe the tome in the middle of the night to practice in the forest, starting with a few weak sparks of Thunder. Weeks later, she was able to call forth streams of Fire, and even now she was able to master Elfire and Elthunder. Wind still gave her trouble, but it was something she could handle on her own.

The one spell she could never get the hang of was Fimbulvetr. How fitting, since it was one of Misty Fey’s most potent spells, even if it was never a Rexcalibur or a Bolganone. Even now, she could only summon a dull patch of frost, never the large sheets or the shots of icicles that she heard whispers about once in awhile.

Halting, Maya scanned the bodies that were left outside. Her stomach twisted when the  _ smell _ finally hit, and the only thing keeping the bile down was that  _ they hadn’t found Mia’s body yet _ . It was childish, and it was futile, that Maya was old enough to know, especially in days when whispers of war were becoming more and more frequent with each passing day. Even the little remote village of Kurain wasn’t the paradise the elders wanted them to think it was. 

There were whispers, chilling whispers that Misty Fey was dead, after all, she hadn’t been seen in nearly two decades. Those were the whispers that Maya couldn’t afford to listen to, not when her own sister left her at the mercy of the elders and Aunt Morgan. 

But she couldn’t ever bring herself to hate Mia. Not after sessions when she was pushed into healing lessons  _ again _ , failing  _ again _ . Not when the only real memento she had was just a  _ stupid book _ that she couldn’t even use to it’s full potential, even after  _ years _ of practice, brushing off every lecture Aunt Morgan made her endure.Not when that stupid book was the only thing their mother left them.

A jolting scream cause Maya to flinch, her fingers curling around the spine of the tome. Panicking, she whipped her head back and forth, trying to find the source, cursing herself. They didn’t know if there were any soldiers lurking in the village! In her stupor, she let Pearl wander on her own, and even though they were in their village, the rising smoke and the scatter bodies told them it wasn’t their home anymore.

Pearl’s scream came in the direction of her house! She had been sharing with Mia and her friends ever since she came back less than a week ago, but neither Lana nor Ema were here. As much as Maya wanted to hate them for barging into her life with her own sister in tow, she simply couldn’t. Not when she saw how exhausted Lana Skye looked, like she might fall off her own mount at any given second. Not when she saw how wide Ema’s eyes were, like she was too petrified to close them.

She could only hope the Skyes had escaped.

Numbly, Maya flicked the tome open, reaching out a hand to call forth crackling Fire or sparks of Thunder at a pin’s drop, racing into the old Fey Manor. 

Pearl’s legs had given out just as she stepped inside the door, and she pushed herself into the far wall, too weak to carry herself back out. Her staff wasn’t by any means a weapon, but she held it in front of herself like it could deflect a demon. And she was shaking again. The resolve Pearl had to carry herself from villager to villager was gone, and following her line of sight, Maya understood why.

_ “MIA!” _ The tome had dropped to the ground beside Pearl as Maya crossed the room, not caring one bit for her robes as she slid across the ground. “Mia . . .” 

Tears finally pricked the corners of her eyes as Maya grabbed her sister’s cold hands, lips trembling. Perhaps this was what Aunt Morgan meant when she warned Maya about not following the Fey traditions. Her mother pursued a different brand of magic, and later forced to disappear. Mia left the world of magic behind entirely, choosing instead to become a Kinshi Knight, and now Maya didn’t know whether to keep her eyes on her sister’s peaceful face or the gaping wound in her chest. 

Mia’s eyes were closed. If it weren't for her wound or the bloody lance on the ground beside her, Maya would've thought she was sleeping. But the evidence was in front of her, and it told her all she needed to know. Bowing her head, Maya brought her sister's body into her lap, and wept.

Maya heard the pitter-patter footsteps of her little cousin shuffling to her side, but it sounded faint to her, like they were far away. Pearl was not a big girl, but she wrapped her arms around Maya, the wet of her cheek seeping through her sleeve, and she held on to Maya like a lost child.

“It’s not fair,” Maya hiccuped, trying to keep her shoulders from shaking. “It’s not fair it’s not fair  _ it’s not fair—” _

Pearl was silent. There was nothing to disagree with, after all. Soon, the moments blurred into each other, yet it felt like only a few seconds passing. Soon, Pearl pulled away, but Maya couldn’t. She wanted to stay with Mia longer. She could, she knew she could. There was a small part of her that whispered into her ears, about how easy it would’ve been to never leave her side.

She shook herself out of it, scolding herself. Getting to her feet, she winced as the blood rushed back through her legs. They had been here too long, Maya decided. But there was still another thought nagging at her as Pearl tugged at her sleeve.

“We can’t just leave her here,” Pearl breathed. Hesitantly, she pointed with her staff to a corner on the other side of the room. “Not with him.”

Maya’s stomach lurched as her eyes made out another crumpled figure in the shadows. Scooping up the tome she dropped, she allowed an ember’s worth of fire to dance on her fingertips. The elder Fey inched forward, letting out a shriek as the light finally cut shapes into the figures face.

The man was a wholly unattractive one, with garish pink hair swept to the side, and a grotesque smile frozen on his face, like he was laughing in the face of whoever had killed him. Reflexively, Maya shuffled back, bumping into Pearl before trying to zero in on the man’s features. Judging by the hole in his chest that seemed to match Mia’s, Maya could only guess that he was killed by her sister’s lance. Not that it made any sense. Mia probably died first, which meant someone else dealt the finishing blow.

“I didn’t even notice him,” Maya murmured. “But you’re right. We’re not leaving her here with—with  _ him _ . Pearly, help me please.”

Extinguishing the flames, Maya stuffed the tome into the wide sash of her robes, grasping Pearl by the shoulders. She didn’t really need to steer her back; she knew Pearls would help her no matter what. But it helped, grounding herself to the only other living person.

It was the lance that gave Maya pause. She had no idea how to wield one. She had never even held one in her life! But still, it was a shame to leave the elegant weapon behind, especially when Mia spent so much time to master it. 

Without thinking, Maya ripped off the hem of her robes, Pearl whirling around with a loud gasp. 

“M—Mystic Maya!” She exclaimed. Her eyes were comically wide, her free hand flying up to cover her mouth in shock. If this was any other situation, Maya would laugh. It certainly wasn’t the first time she had ripped robes, especially not from the amount of times she went into the forest to practice.

Maya could feel her mouth move, but her voice wouldn’t work. Shrugging, she fastened the torn cloth into a cord, fastening the ends onto two points along the lance’s shaft. She tugged at it, making sure it was secure before pulling it up. It was lighter than she expected, not that it meant the lance wasn't heavy . With a grunt, Maya slung the cord over her shoulder, leaning back as the lance swung around her back. She rocked on her heels, testing it. It wasn’t outrageously heavy, but she’d be damned if she had to make Pearls carry it.

“Alright,” Maya said softly. “Let’s do this.”

There was a rug on the floor nearby. It wasn’t at all ceremonial, but Maya managed to lift Mia so she rested on the rug. Grasping the corners, Maya hefted most of the weight while Pearls made sure Mia’s body didn’t slip off. Getting down the wooden steps was tricky, but Pearls (bless her), grasped the back corners, curling the mat closed like a flower bud not quite ready to bloom.

They brought her before the village grounds, the last place Maya ever saw her sister before she left the first time.

_ Left behind _ , Maya thought to herself.  _ Left behind again. _

It wasn’t a fair comparison to make, she knew that perfectly well. She never saw her mother’s body, so it was perfectly reasonable to entertain the thought that she was alive. But with Mia, the evidence was there, right in front of her, weighing down her back. She could taste it on her tongue, and smell it in the air. Even the crackling of the burning houses felt too loud to be natural.

Even lying unceremoniously on a floor mat, her sister looked radiant. A lone ray of sun stretched before her, illuminating her hair in a golden halo. Pearl was right. With her eyes closed, maybe Mia Fey really  _ was _ sleeping.

Maya blinked, and that ray of sunlight ran back behind the cloud cover again. She chuckled darkly to herself; maybe she was really imagining that. But the loud whinny and the sound of hooves slapping the ground sounded like thunder to her ears. And she didn’t imagine  _ that _ . A chill tore through her as she realized she was taken off guard with no time to hide, and threw her arms to the side, pushing Pearly behind her. 

“I’ll protect you Pearly,” Maya glanced over her shoulder, not able to keep her gaze from slipping to her sister. “I’ll protect both of you.”

The footfalls drew closer, and the only thing Maya could think of was all the things she heard about the cavalry of the neighboring kingdom. The Cavaliers were fierce, vicious before they were vetted into being Paladins. Their Dark Knights could command wind magic that could blow away fliers in storms conjured in the blink of an eye, even decimate entire platoons in a netting of Thunder.

Pearl whimpered as a white stallion galloped around the corner. Even covered in crimson and gold plating, it was gorgeous, with a radiant shine that the village elders only talked about when they were telling myths of the gods. If it were anyone else, Pearl would’ve been all over the horse, maybe even calling it angelic.

The first thing Maya noticed was that the Paladin’s sword was already drawn. The tome was already open, even if Maya wasn't sure she can do more than distract him, let alone stop him when he was on a  _ horse _ . His armor matched the plating covering the bodies of those that invaded, few compared ones in robes.

The next thing she noticed was that the man could've been considered ridiculously handsome, even wearing what looked like napkins jammed down his neck. Despite his young looking face, he had gray hair that glinted like tempered steel. He couldn't have been older than thirty.

_ He couldn't have been older than Mia. _

Maya shook her head. She had to be brave. She had to be strong. If not for her, then for Pearl, the youngest member of the village that carried the hopes and dreams and  _ expectations _ of many. For Pearl, who was the only person she had left in this world.

_ I can do this.  _

The rider and his steed stepped closer, just close enough so that he was touching the border of the village commons. 

“Are you here to kill us?” Maya stiffened as the words echoed in the air, her throat closing up. Panicking, she turned to look at Pearl with wide eyes, whose free hand jumped to cover her mouth. She was shaking again, practically hugging her staff to her chest.

“Yes.”

The blood in Maya’s ears was like a waterfall, the reply like a baritone. She thought she imagined it. The man moved his horse forward, and Maya shrieked, sending a shock of Thunder hurtling across the courtyard. The horse reared, and some naive part of Maya’s mind hope the man would be bucked off, but no such luck.

_ “Stay away!” _  Maya was close to hyperventilating now. She spent plenty of time practicing, but she never thought she’d be facing any kind of combat. “Stay the  _ hell _ away!”

Maya threw her hand out, summoning Fire, hoping to scare the horse off, but even the horses of Ortus were as disciplined as their riders. The man’s eyes flashed, but he didn’t move closer. To Maya’s surprise, he allowed his steed to back up a couple of paces, but she didn’t allow herself to feel an iota of relief. Not until she knew the man was gone, and no other soldiers were following him.

“Wait!” It sounded like an order, but Maya couldn’t shake how the man’s voice trembled ever so slightly, like a leaf about to break from a branch. “Where did you get that tome?”

Maya couldn’t afford to let her guard down, not when his steed had calmed itself, not while his sword was still unsheathed. But it was such a  _ stupid  _ question, she let out a laugh, clear as a bell. “Excuse me?”

“Where did you get that tome?” Pearl let out a little gasp, like even she could see the tension in the man’s shoulders, the way he was gripping his sword, his knuckles must’ve been white. And he sounded . . .  _ desperate _ .

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Maya responded, as levelly as she could. “This tome has been in my family since before I was born.”

“What?” The man allowed his gaze to travel from the girls to the rest of the village. The burning wreckage, the bodies littering the courtyard, and his gaze settled behind Maya. He was focusing on Pearl . . . no. Maya shifted to the side, Pearl shuffling behind her. 

He was focusing on Mia.

“This tome belonged to my mother,” Maya continued, and she could feel the magic coiling in her veins, mixing with the adrenaline. “Mystic—”

“Misty Fey,” the man finished, his sword hanging limply at his side. “Your mother is Mystic Misty Fey.”

“How could you possibly know that?!” Pearl took a couple steps forward, rolling up her sleeve like she was ready to charge the Paladin. She jumped when Maya extended her arm to stop her from moving any closer.

“I . . .” The man scoffed, looking away. “That’s no longer important. Not anymore.”

_ Not anymore?! _ Maya wanted to scream.  _ What the hell does  _ that  _ mean?! _

The horse reared back, and Pearl let out a squeak. The man threw out his free hand to block his face as Maya let loose a shockwave of Wind. No, it wasn’t just the  _ spell _ , but there was a ring of frost radiating around the Feys. The beginnings of Fimbulvetr. 

Maya’s throat felt hoarse, and she realized she  _ had _ screamed out loud, and the magic in her veins let loose at the same time. The magic tingling at her fingertips was gone, replaced by a fury that made her shoulders rise and fall, like she had the power of the oceans at her call. 

  
“What are you doing here? Were you sent to clean up the—” Maya swept a hand around, and she would’ve been lying if she said she didn’t appreciate the way the man flinched. “Mess?”

The man lowered his head, like he could hide behind his silvery hair. “Yes,” he responded. “I was.” He tugged at the reins, and Maya bumped into Pearl trying to back up. In one fluid movement, the man sheathed his sword. Instead of coming closer, his steed turned around.

Maya breathed, lowering her hand. She kept the tome open, a spell on the tip of her tongue. Her shoulders relaxed, just enough so she could spare another glance at Pearl.

“Wait!” Pearl broke past Maya, taking only a few steps closer to the Paladin. “Wh—What’s your name?”

“Pearly!” Maya admonished. “Get back here! He doesn’t care—”

“Edgeworth,” the man spoke, glancing over his shoulder. “I suggest you get going. Ortus may send more troops.”

So it  _ was _ Ortan troops attacked this village. It was an Ortan that razed every house to the ground, slaughtered every person. It was an Ortan that killed Mia. And it was an Ortan that was letting Maya and Pearl walk away.

Maya never let her eyes stray away from the Paladin as she leaned down and slung Mia’s lance back over her shoulder. As the Paladin—Edgeworth—approached the edge of the village, Maya turned to look at Pearl. She grasped her by the shoulders, and for the second time that day, she clung to her and wept.

“M—Mystic Maya,” Pearl breathed, clinging to her cousin just as hard. Her voice was quiet, but she wasn’t shaking. “What do we do now?”

Maya wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her robes, sniffling. “I don’t know for sure Pearly. I don’t know.” 

She couldn’t help looking at Mia’s peaceful face again, at Pearl’s wide, scared eyes. As of now, she was the eldest member of Kurain Village. She was the only person watching out for little Pearl. And she was the only person left who could possibly wield the tome in her hand. 

And she was tired.  _ By the gods _ she was tired. In the span of a couple of hours, she had lost her sister, and come back to her home in ruins, and now she was responsible carrying on the Fey legacy. 

But she was alive. Pearly was alive. And that would be enough. Resolve was the thing that got Maya back on her feet, and Pearly would be the one keeping her going. Simple.

“I don’t know for sure,” Maya said again. “But I  _ do  _ know that there are people who are like Mia and Lana and Ema, who can help us. We’re going to find them Pearly. That’s the plan.”

They lingered just a little longer, looking for anything they could use for supplies, any preserved food they could take with them. As they headed to the edge of the forest, Maya took a deep breath, Pearl sliding a hand into her palm.

They never looked back.


End file.
